The Performer’s Gift: How to Awaken the Creativity in Others w/ Jennifer Blaine
Release Date: 07/01/2025
Be. Play. Love.
Most people don’t think of themselves as creative. We say, “I’m not artistic,” or “I can’t perform,” and leave it at that. But the truth is, creativity isn’t reserved for the select few. It lives in everyone. It’s baked into how we think, feel, dream, and respond to the world. The problem is that most of us were taught to shut it down. We were told to color inside the lines, follow the rules, and keep things appropriate. Over time, we stopped expressing the weird, wonderful parts of ourselves and started believing that creativity belonged only to the professionals. But...
info_outlineBe. Play. Love.
In a world that worships productivity, we’ve traded our inner spark for efficiency and completely lost the creativity that’s vital to flow. For many of us, this disconnection with our creativity goes back to childhood. This is where we were taught not to be weird. Where we were trained to do things in one specific way, and forced to correct ourselves when we didn’t. For years, we’ve heard negative things that have shaped how we feel about our creativity, so no wonder we’ve suppressed it. But without play, coloring outside the lines, and trusting the parts of ourselves that don’t...
info_outlineBe. Play. Love.
You’re standing in front of a mess…clothes, memories, identities…scattered on the floor. A rod gives out, a shelf falls, or maybe your inner structure does. It looks like chaos, but it might just be intuition telling you: it’s time to release the weight, it’s time to let go. Whether it’s a closet full of old identities, a childhood belief you’ve outgrown, or a lingering fear that you’re still “too much,” life finds ways to show us what no longer fits. But what if that collapse isn’t a failure but an invitation to release, integrate, and reclaim ourselves? It’s a shift...
info_outlineBe. Play. Love.
Creativity isn’t just a skill, it’s a lifeline in a play-deprived society. When young people feel unseen, unheard, and unwelcome, they shut down. Their development gets interrupted. Their story gets cut short. But give them the joy of movement, and a place to express their creativity, and something transformational happens. They come alive. Not because someone told them what to say or how to be, but because someone finally asked: Who are you? And what’s inside you, waiting to be expressed? In this episode, we explore what happens when we stop trying to “fix” kids and instead create...
info_outlineBe. Play. Love.
The power-over / power-under / power-with dynamic isn’t just something we have with other people, it often resides inside us. When we override our emotions, suppress our sensations, and try to outmaneuver our discomfort, we manifest that dynamic. We see it when we push past our sadness, armor over vulnerability, or try to exert power in ways that are loud and forceful instead of connected and quiet. Maybe it’s thinking we need to toughen up and act like a badass in reaction to our sadness. That’s what we think being powerful looks like. But what if the...
info_outlineBe. Play. Love.
Here’s an uncomfortable or even painful experience many people are having right now. Losing a friendship over differing political views or fundamental values. It hurts…but what if it’s also a window into something deeper? In today’s cultural climate, the divide between people often goes far beyond a simple disagreement or differing opinions. It can reveal a far deeper truth: when values clash, friendships can break. But what does that rupture reveal about how we relate, how we build trust, and how we stay open in moments that hurt? Most of us are taught to manage difficult emotions by...
info_outlineBe. Play. Love.
Sometimes, the danger isn’t real, but our bodies still act like it is. You’re stuck in traffic, someone you love is upset, or a friend doesn’t text back, and suddenly, you’re spiraling. Your heart races, your thoughts scramble, and before you know it, you’re either fixing, fleeing, or shutting down. What’s happening? In a world that constantly pushes us to stay in control, we forget how to stay connected, to ourselves, to others, and to the moment. But our bodies remember. They hold wisdom, intuition, and the capacity to guide us, if we’re willing to...
info_outlineBe. Play. Love.
There are many ways we try to heal. Therapy, meditation, breathwork, movement, and mindset work - just to name a few. These paths are powerful, transformative, and often life-changing. But sometimes, despite all the tools and effort, there are places within us that remain untouched, places our intellect can’t quite reach. We’re exploring one such threshold, where healing stops being something we do and becomes something that happens to us at a cellular level. Where transformation drops from the head into the body through the quiet, mystical intelligence of mushrooms. Journeying...
info_outlineBe. Play. Love.
We all do it. When there’s silence, ambiguity, or the absence of clear feedback, we fill in the blanks with stories. But here’s the problem: our minds don’t reach for generous interpretations. They default to criticism, fear, and doubt. Whether it’s giving a talk, navigating a friendship, or reflecting on ourselves, we often assume the worst, even when reality is far more kind. Evolutionary survival instincts, societal conditioning, and inner critics keep us stuck in fear-based thinking. What if there was a powerful alternative (spoiler alert, there is!) - reconnecting to the...
info_outlineBe. Play. Love.
In our world, productivity and creativity occupy two different buckets. The former is functional, necessary, and purposeful. The latter is frivolous, chaotic, and irresponsible. It should be put on the back burner so that we can focus on “more important things.” As a result, creative expression ends up as an afterthought, something we can only do after the real work is done. The problem is: so many of us end up feeling disconnected from our creativity, cut off from a vital resource for resonance. What if instead of putting off creativity for later, we could integrate it into...
info_outlineMost people don’t think of themselves as creative. We say, “I’m not artistic,” or “I can’t perform,” and leave it at that. But the truth is, creativity isn’t reserved for the select few.
It lives in everyone.
It’s baked into how we think, feel, dream, and respond to the world.
The problem is that most of us were taught to shut it down. We were told to color inside the lines, follow the rules, and keep things appropriate.
Over time, we stopped expressing the weird, wonderful parts of ourselves and started believing that creativity belonged only to the professionals.
But performers like Jennifer Blaine know better.
Jennifer is a comedian, improviser, and creativity coach who doesn’t just entertain, she activates. Her shows invite people to stop watching and start engaging.
Through playful characters, spontaneous interaction, and real-time coaching, she helps people bypass their inner critic and access the creative voice that’s been waiting inside them all along.
Because when someone is bold enough to play in public, it sparks something in the room. It gives the rest of us permission to try, to improvise, to be ridiculous, expressive, and alive.
How do we use play and improv to pull out our true expression?
In this episode, Jennifer shares how performance becomes a portal, why creative energy is always running beneath the surface, and how just a little bit of play can bring people back to life.
Things You’ll Learn In This Episode
-The gaze that frees
How does simply being seen without judgment ignite your creativity and confidence?
-Performance as permission
Why does witnessing play unlock something in you, and how can performers create the safety for that to happen?
-Improvising with life
We’re all improvisers. So, how can you get better at dancing with the unknown instead of fearing it?
-From grief to genius
Can play be the most honest response to pain, transition, or loss, and how does it open doors to new expression?
Guest Bio
Jennifer Blaine is an actor, comedian, playwright, and character chameleon. She has been performing one-woman shows for 25 years. Her original writing, performing, and comedy delve into serious and socially relevant issues and provide audiences the opportunity to unite in laughter. Jennifer has opened for George Carlin and performed with Chris Rock and Joe Piscopo. She has worked with great actors such as Glenda Jackson, Christopher Plummer, Laura Linney, Joanne Woodward, and Paul Newman, and was featured on ABC’s Philly After Midnight: Women Comedians. She starred in the animated series “Teddy P. Brains,” in which she played a precocious brainy boy, and has lent her voice to hundreds of voiceover projects. According to the Philadelphia Daily News “not even Sybil can compete with Blaine’s cast of characters. Her comic genius is like Lily Tomlin and Tracey Ullman.” Visit https://jenniferblaine.com/ to learn more.
About Your Hosts
Katie Hendricks, Ph.D., BC-DMT, is a pioneer in body intelligence and conscious loving with over 40 years of experience. Known internationally as a presenter and seminar leader, she focuses on authenticity, responsibility, and appreciation in conscious living. She co-authored 12 books, including best-sellers Conscious Loving and Conscious Loving Ever After and she has appeared on over 500 radio and TV programs.
Sophie Chiche is a seasoned coach and consultant who has worked with thousands of individuals and teams globally. With a focus on helping people live fully expressed lives, she guides clients and facilitates group sessions to remove obstacles and design meaningful lives. Sophie has developed unique methods, mindset shifts, and healing modalities to create lasting change.
Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so the show reaches more people!